Divided bed and cleaner



A. B. ASCH VDIVIDED BED AND CLEANER Aug. 11, 1942; l

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1939 Hl l l llllllmrlll.l

I I I I I l I iu.; S Wim ATTORNEY.

Aug. 11, 1942. A, B, Ascgl-l 2,292,861

DIVIDED BED:AND CLEANER Y Filed Sept. 9, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y I)I s j I| N .fi 1 m W s@ :f k :E l I. y 'P INVENTOR BY ,4i/94H4@ 5. ,45o/f,

N ATTORNEY..

Aug. 1l.,v 1942. A. B. AscH DIVIDED ,BEDF' AND QLEANER Filed sept. 9, 1939 4 sheets-sheet :s

v ATTORNEY.

Aug. l, 1942. A. B. AscH DIVIDED BED AND CLEANER Filed sept.Y 9, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY.

Patented ug. l1, 1942 Y Abraham Aach. Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner, by meme assignments, to Charles E. Fraser, New

York, N. Y.

Application september s, 1939, serai No. 294,052

1o claims. (cl. 21o-12s) The present invention relates to a lter bed and mechanism for cleaning the same.

Such mechanisms may comprise a lter bed over which a cleaner tank is movable and provided with means for creating a zone of agitation inthe bed so as to free the bed material in that zone of dirt, which is then washed into a wash water compartment from which it is reslats or the like arrangedboth iaterauy, mn: tudinally or angularly of the bed so as to form in eiIect boxes with open tops and bottoms. The

moved by a pump. Devices of this character are well known both for upflow and downilow filters.

In order to make possible the lowering of elevationof the top of the liquid in the cleaner and to prevent leakage of either the unfiltered inuent and/or wash water through the bed and thus contaminate the clean eilluent on the other side of the lter, it is imperative that sealing means be provided. Heretofore such cleaning devices made contact with the illter bed medium for this purpose. Sealing the cleaning device makes it possible for the level within the device to be drawn below the level outside by the pump which removes the impurities in suspension. For best operating results, this difference in level must be a substantial amount, and when this difference reaches a certain amount, it will .cause the sand to blow into the cleaner, and disrupt the seal, equalizing. the levels outside and insidefthe box and thus reducing the eiilcieney of the cleaning operation.

To overcome this inherent difculty of sand seals, this invention describes a method whereby a positive seal may be made which in no` way depends upon the ability ofthe sand to withstand the effects of hydraulic velocity.`

One of the importantobjects of the present invention is the provision of positive ymeans for.

sealing such a moving cleaning device against the entrance or exit of water from desired points.

It is also known that the movement of a cleaning device also results in a shifting of the sand resulting in uneven bed surfaces.

Another important object of this invention is to provide means for overcoming this shifting.

Another important object resides in arranging the bed material in such a way that the area thereof outside of the zone of agitation will be disturbed to a minimum extent.

Other objects will appear as the descriptiony bottom edges ofeach boxwill be supported by the filter screen on which the bed material rests and the thus formedbox will be filled with bed material. As a result, when the cleaner passes over the bed, the fact that the segregated areas offnlter .bed material are separated by partitions minimizes extendedV disturbances. This is par-'- ticularly true` for cleaners of the' downilow type wherein influent to be filtered is ilowed on top of the bed. This inflowing stream, togetherwith.

the intermittent movement of the cleaning device, has a tendency to disturb the surface o't the'bed, that is, to cause a shifting `of the sand from one location to another. Consequently, when the cleaner moves over the surface, it is diillcult to maintain a tight seal between the bottom of the cleaner and the bed itself. This difficulty is minimized inthe present instance not only because the individual partitions act as ydoes a jetty on the seashore, but also because the bottom of the cleanerv device contacts notv with the filter bed material but ywith the'tops of `the -partitionsto maintain a tight seal.

As indicated above,` the invention contemplates 'a sealing contact between the cleaner device or mechanism carried thereby and the tops of the' iilter, bedpartitions.. This'may take the form of one or more shoes or the like in front of and/or behind the cleaner mechanism so as to make a sliding contact with the tops of the partitions,y or the cleaner device may be provided with rollers in front of and/or behind the samemaking a rolling contact with the partitions. or a travelling trackway maybe similarly arranged to make extended contact with such partitions. In all cases, f

parts more fully hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showt ing the relationship of the parts in one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view along the line 2-2 of'Fls. 1; v c

3 is a partial perspective sectional elevation showing a method of making contact with the shoe and the partitions;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar views of modified forms;

Fig. 'I is a side elevation partly in section showing the use of sealing rollers;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the device of Fig. '1;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a travelling trackway modication; and

the clean eiiluent drops from beneath the bed grill-work 2 carrying a screen 3, upon which is supported a cross framework, preferably composed of laterally extending members 4, and longitudinally extending members 5. In annular tanks, the longitudinally extending members 5 will be arranged concentrically therewith, while the members 4 will extend radially. Inasmuch as the invention is equally applicableto rectangular and annular beds, the same description will apply to either situation. 1

It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the partitions 4 and 5 constitute boxes which, in cooperation with the screen 3, are adapted to contain the filter bed material 6. 'Ihis bed material may be of any desired character such as sand of either the silicate or magnetite variety, although in the present instance, I have shown the latter type. It has been found desirable that the normal level of the bed material be slightly below the upper level of the partitions 4.

Mounted above the tank and preferably upon the tops of the walls I thereof, is a track I upon which is a motor driven travelling carriage 8 from which depends the cleaner mechanism indicated generally at l. This cleaner may consist of end walls Il and II and side walls I2 and Il. The latter project downwardly into the sand of the filter bed material beyond the side partitions l so as to make a sealing contact between the cleaner and the bed at this point.

At the bottom of the cleaner, walls II-and I5 A divide the main portion thereof into a wash water compartment I6 and a compartment I1 to receive a device for causing agitation. In this case, it consists of an annular solenoid Il connected with a suitable source of current for intermittently energizing the same. The top of wall Il is pro- In front of and/or behind the cleaner mechanism, are shoes 2| projecting a requisite distance from the walls III and/or II. These shoes are adapted to make contact .with the tops of the cross partitions 4, the partitions being spaced close enough or the shoe extending far enough so that there will always be contact between the shoe and at least one partition. vThe shoe may contact with more than one partition, at any time, thus assuring more certain sealing contact.

In operating a illter as above constructed and of the downflow type, influent to be filtered is flowed on top of the lter bed from any desired source and either with or without prior treatment, until a level I has been reached. This .level is maintained by the resistance of the sand to the passage of the liquid and the outlet overflow level. The liquid influent passes through the into the channel 22 from which it is disposed of as desired. An adjustable Weir 23 is provided in the enluent disposal system so as to maintain a level E lower than the level I. This difference in hydrostatic head causes the flow of liquid through the filter. It is to be noted that under these circumstances, the walls I2 and I3 of the cleaner device being embedded in the sand of the iilter bed outside of partitions 4 and 5, and the bottom of shoes 2| contacting with the tops of partitions 4, the cleaner tank 9 is sealed against the entrance of inuent thereinto.

When it is desired to clean the bed, the travelling carriage 8 may be moved continuously over the bedwhere it is of the annular variety or back and forth over one of the rectangular type. The solenoid I8 is then intermittently energized, upon which the magnetite sand of the bed 6 immediately therebelow is lifted and thereby agitated. The solenoid is then de-energized, which permits the magnetite to drop back to its place in the bed. During this lifting and falling of the sand. the solids caught thereby are loosened and freed therefrom. Due to the fact that the clean eiiluent level E is higher than the top of weir I 9, the latter establishing the wash water level W, there will be a backflow of clean eiiluent up through the bed and through the area of lessened resistance due to this movement of the sand, so as to wash the loose dirt over the top of weir I 8 and into the compartment I0 from which it is removed by the pump 2|. Inasmuch as this level vE is always maintained higher than the level W, there can never be back leakage of dirty water from the solenoid compartment through the area of lessened resistance in the filter immediately beneath the same so as to contaminate the clean enluent below the filter.

Ordinarily. the partitions 4 would be made of wood or the like so as to assure a good sealing contact with the bottom of the shoes II. Howeve this is not necessary and any other suitable material may be used.

In Fig. 3, the bottom of the shoe 2| is covered with a sheath 24 of rubber or the like as this forms a particularly efficient type of seal. Similarly, in Fig. 4 rubber is used to facilitate the sealing contact. In this case, rubber wipers 2l are attached to the tops of the partitions 4.

These rubber wipers may also take the form shown at 2i in Fig. 5 and 21 inFig. 6.

Another very effective manner of maintaining a seal fore and aft of the cleaner tank is shown in Figs. rl and 8. This consists of hollow rollers 2l mounted in journals 2l carried by the side walls I2 and Il. The rollers are surfaced with a layer l0 of yieldable material such as rubber or the like, which extends beyond the ends of the rollers 28 so as to make a wiping contact with the side IWalls at Il. As shown in Fig. 7, the rollers 2l provide contact with the -tops of one or more of the 'partitions 4 and thus effectively seal the cleaner compartment against the entrance of unfiltered influent. Of course, the level I is to be maintained below the tops of the rollers 2l.

By permitting a certain amount of water to enter the hollow rollers 2l, any desired degree of weight may be thus obtained and, consequently,

more pressure brought to bear between the yieldable surface Il and the tops of the partitions 4.

This roller type of seal is also desirable in that it does not require as much power for propelling the cleaning device as does the wiping seal prefilter bed 6, the solids are retained thereby and violisly` described. Where desired, the rollers tions 4. y

^ mechanism itself.

' themselves maybe independently and'synchronously driven from the-primermover used to propel the cleaner carriage mechanism.

In Figs. 9 and 10, another form of seal is shown to consist of-idlers 32 mounted in bearings 33 carried by the side walls l2 and I3 and around which extends a yieldable travelling trackway M "of rubber or the like making an extended surface contact with the tops of a plurality of parti- As in the case of the buoyant rollers 2l,- one or more of these pulleys' l2 may serve as a drive for the trackway or thedevice may be driven under the impetus of movement of the cleaner It will be seen, therefore,I that an effective seal is obtainable in front of and behindthe cleaner vbythe wiping; rolling. or trackway seal with the partition tops and at the sides of the cleanerfby reason of the fact that the side walls project downwardly a suiilcient distance into the bedl material. A Y

While the invention has been shown and de- 'scribedwith particular reference lto specific embodiments. it is to be understood thatv it is not 'to be limited thereto but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely pended claims. Y

I claim: l l 1. In combination, a reservoir havinga filter bed adjacent-the bottom thereof with partitions for dividing the-bed into separated areas of nlter material, a travelling cleaner for said vbed car-V rying means engaging the partitions and cooperating therewith to form "a chamber over a portion of the filter bed, means for moving the cleaner over the lter bed. means carried by l the cleaner to agitate a portion of the bed within said chamber, andV means for removing the'fcleaning liquid from said chamber.

2. The combination of claim 1 with otherportions of the cleaner in sealing engagement with the nlter bed material.

3. The combination of claiml in which the by the scope-of the ap- 3 ceaner engages the partitions in a sliding con;

` 4. The combination of-claim 1 in which the cleaner engages the partition in a sliding contact, one of saidmembers carrying `a rubber wiper.

5. The combination of claim 1 in which the cleaner engages the partitions through the instrumentality of a roller at each end thereof.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which the cleaner engages the partitions through the in-v strumentality of a roller at each end thereof, said roller having a yielding rubber surface.

7. The combination of claim 1 in'which the cleaner engages the partitions through the instrumentality of 4a travelling yieldable trackway having a bottom area sufiicient to 'bridge a plurality ofpartitions.

8. The combinationof claim 1 with other portions of the cleanerin sealing engagement with the filter bed material, one of the partitions with which the cleaner makes contact being ahead` of the cleaner and another being behind the same.

9. A filter bed including a screen, a framework supportedthereon and comprising partitions extending substantially across the bed forming areas ofless extent than that of the total nlter bed. each of said partitions having a flexible wiping portion at the upper part thereof, Iandl germana and` nlter bed material in between the below the top thereof.

L 10. In a cleaning mechanism f'r a reservoir having a filter bed adjacent the bottom thereof with partitions for dividing the bed into separated areasof filter material.V the combination of a track carried by the walls of said reservoir,

a travelling cleaner for said bed supported on Y said track to move over said filter bed and carrying means engaging the partitions and cooper-- ating therewith to form a chamber over a portion of the filter bed, means carried by the cleaner toagitate a portion of the bed within said chamber and means'for removing the cleaning liquid from said chamber.

' v Y ABRAHAM B. ASCH., 

